Austin, TX (Law Firm Newswire) December 14, 2011 – Not paying attention at a stop sign usually ends up causing an accident. It certainly did in this reported case.

“Traffic signs are not put up as decorations,” says Robert W. Lee, an Austin personal injury attorney of The Lee Law Firm in Texas. “But apparently some people seem to think they are, or that the signs don’t apply to them. This accident would not have happened if the biker had not breezed through a stop sign at the junction of a byway and a highway.”

The blue 2007 Honda had two passengers in it as it barreled through the stop sign at the intersection of the highway and a junction road. At 62-years-old, the biker was old enough to have known better than to pull a stunt like that. He was heading south, when he was struck by a red 2011 Dodge pickup. The driver was not able to take any action, as he was surrounded by other vehicles on the same highway. It was a miracle that no other vehicle was involved in this accident, and a miracle that both occupants in the truck escaped with minor injuries.

The police shut down the north lanes of the highway until emergency crews could clear the debris and the bodies could be removed. “The next step would be to determine why the biker went through the stop sign, and there could be any number of reasons why. His family will want to know the reasons, as they may choose to file a wrongful death lawsuit,” speculated Lee.

If he was riding while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, unable to see the sign properly because he was wearing the wrong type of safety helmet or was traveling too fast to stop, these things would be factored into any wrongful death lawsuit, as they relate to damages based on how negligent the biker’s actions were. For instance, if he chose to drink and drive, this would speak to his recklessness and negligence.

If the issue turns out to be a mechanical failure, such as his brakes not working, this would be another story entirely, and both would have causes of action; the biker a wrongful death, product liability case and the passenger a wrongful death, personal injury case. “If you have been in an accident, of any kind, my door is open to you to discuss your case. I understand your concerns and have represented many clients in similar situations. I know you need justice, and that is my job,” added Lee.